In order to alleviate this problem there has been manufactured a trolley locking device comprising members which are permanently associated with each of the trolleys of a group thereof and wherein one part of the locking device co-operates with a part of a locking device associated with another trolley in order to lock the two trolleys together in a releasable manner.
In order to release the trolleys a coin must be introduced into one of the parts of the device and the trolleys can then be separated. The idea is that in order to recover the coin the trolley must be returned to a depot or the like so that the part of the locking device on the trolley can be inter-engaged with a co-operating part on another trolley to again lock the two trolleys together. Once the two parts of the locking device are locked together, the coin can be recovered.
Existing locking devices of this general nature are generally costly and of fairly complicated construction. Also, in at least some cases, one part of the device has to be rigidly attached to a supermarket trolley and, due to the general design of such trolleys, it must be attached in a position in which it tends to damage refrigerators or other fixtures in supermarkets, for example.
It is the object of this invention to provide a device of the above general type which can be inexpensively manufactured, is simple to operate, and wherein both parts can be suspended from a height on a supermarket trolley above that which tends to interfere with fixtures in a supermarket thereby lessening the possibility of damage to such fixtures.